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Brighton vs Crystal Palace Prediction & Team News

Published

3 years ago

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As expected the M23 derby is sold out as Crystal Palace travels to the Amex Stadium for the second match between these two rivals this season. All Eagles fans will remember the first match at Selhurst Park as it was one of a few games this season that Palace couldn’t see out even after leading for the majority of the match. Zaha’s first-half penalty wasn’t enough to secure the win as a painful injury-time equaliser from Maupay made it 1-1.

Brighton goes into the match in 9th with a game in hand to the Eagles. They are on 27 points going into the match, four points above Palace who sit in 12th place. With key players for both sides playing in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), it’s going to be an exciting match-up between these two rivals.

Keep reading to see the team news from today’s pre-match press conferences, as well as our score prediction.

Crystal Palace Team News

Before Viera’s press conference today we already knew that Zaha, Ayew, and Kouyate would be unavailable for the derby as they’re away for the AFCON tournament. We expect that this will mean Olise and Eze will get game time and most probably start, especially Olise after his outstanding performance against Millwall in the FA Cup.

It’s also been confirmed that James McArthur and James Tomkins will both miss the match due to injuries. So, we expect to see Will Hughes starting in the centre of the park along with Gallagher and probably Schlupp as we saw last weekend.

Tomkins filled in for Andersen when he was out injured, but unless anything happens before tomorrow’s match we expect to see Guehi and Andersen starting. One of them is going to have to keep close to Maupay who seems to thrive in this fixture and it will most likely be Guehi to do so.

Viera is hopeful that Guaita will be fit for the game after not even featuring on the bench against Millwall. Jack Butland’s mix-up at the back that gifted Millwall the opening goal won’t be out of people’s minds just yet and Brighton will plan to exploit his vulnerabilities if he’s the one to start. Guaita isn’t perfect though, he was the one who played the ball to Maupay in the match in September for the equaliser.

Olise down the right-wing against Cucurella is going to be a contest that you don’t want to miss. These two young players both still have a lot to prove and will want to make a mark on this game.

When Viera was asked about potential transfers in this window this is what he had to say.

“We never spoke about numbers. We try to improve the squad, we talk about which part of the team and the game that we need to improve. I spoke a lot with the chairman and Dougie about the feeling I have and what we are missing and what part of the game we need to improve. If it happens it is good but if it doesn’t I’m happy with the players.”

If Mateta finalises a move away from Selhurst Park, we can see a replacement for him, but if not, we doubt Palace will add to the squad.

Brighton Team News

Brighton only has one player away at AFCON, but it is Bissouma, arguably their best player who has even been linked with a move to Liverpool and Arsenal. Graham Potter knows better than anyone, that football is a team game and so one player missing isn’t going to make too much of a difference.

That said, two key players that are out with injuries are Lewis Dunk and Enock Mwepu. Brighton this week has recalled the young Ecuadorian midfielder, Moises Caicedo, who was on loan at Belgian side K. Beerschot V.A.

Brighton goes into the game following a 2-1 away win against West Brom. It did go to extra time so it wasn’t as comfortable as they would have hoped for. With this in mind and the fact they have some key players missing, Palace should go into the game feeling confident. However, Brighton will know that Palace’s away record is one of the worst in the leagues.

This resilient Brighton side will also remember clearly Maupay’s equaliser which saw them fighting until the whistle. Potter even had this to say about it in his pre-match press conference.

“Late goals have been a strength for us this season and it’s an important thing to have as a team…If you think of Fergie time, it’s about being able to keep going right until the end.”

Brighton vs Crystal Palace prediction

With Brighton playing at home it’s going to be a tough encounter for Palace. They like to keep possession of the ball and so there will be times in the game when the Eagles have to sit back and soak up the pressure.

Both sides are without key players, but Bissouma missing for Brighton is going to be a big loss in the centre of the field. With Palace’s poor away record, only 1 away win all season, it’s hard to say that the Eagles are going to come out with the victory, but then again, anything can happen in a derby like this one.

We predict that it will be a score draw, we’re going for 1-1, the same as the first match of the season between these two.

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Match Previews

Brentford vs Crystal Palace Match Preview & Prediction

Published

2 years ago

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February 17, 2023

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Crystal Palace travel to the Gtech Community Stadium in west London for their Saturday afternoon match with Brentford. It’s a difficult game for The Eagles as they’re up against a Brentford side that are still in contention for a European spot.

Palace drew 1-1 at home with rivals Brighton last weekend, and Brentford had the same scoreline but against league leaders (at the time) Arsenal, although their goal shouldn’t have stood as toney was offside.

Brentford are unbeaten in the league since October and Vieira will know that the Community Stadium isn’t an easy to place to go to, with the fans being so close to the pitch.

Keep reading to learn more about who will and won’t feature for either club and our Brentford vs Crystal Palace prediction.

Crystal Palace team news

Patrick Vieira announced that Wilf Zaha is still a couple of weeks away from rejoining team training, so he’s the first confirmed absentee for this fixture. Another player still out is Joel Ward, so Clyne will start as he doesn’t have any competition at right back.

Vieira did confirm that James McArthur was doing well after returning to the squad against Brighton, even if he didn’t get any minutes. He’s still training with the team and will again be in the match squad for the tie with Brentford.

The Frenchman didn’t give a clear update on whether Andersen or Richards would be in the squad. Andersen should’ve returned to team training already, so maybe Vieira is keeping this one to his chest. If the Dane is fit, we’re sure he’ll start, but it looks like recent goalscorer James Tomkins, will start alongside Guehi.

Brentford team news

Even though he was offside, Ivan Toney netted his 14th goal of the season for Brentford against Arsenal. Frank has already stated that he’ll be in the starting lineup for tie with Crystal Palace. He’s such a key component to Brentford that the once the FA sentence him for his alleged betting breaches, it will be a huge loss.

Regarding injuries for The Bees, it’s basically a full squad available. The players that are definitely ruled out of the fixture, though, are Thomas Strakosha, Pontus Jansson, and Frank Onyeka, the latter two with hamstring injuries.

Brentford vs Crystal Palace Prediction

Whilst it’s not one of the fiercest London derbies, Brentford vs Crystal Palace will no doubt still be a heated fixture. Brentford are currently unbeaten in their previous 10 league matches, a milestone that only Newcastle and Arsenal have reached this season. Crystal Palace, however, are looking for their first win in the Premier League since defeating Bournemouth back at the start of January.

Unfortunately, for Palace fans, we can’t see The Eagles getting an away win here, possibly a draw. That’s why our Brentford vs Crystal Palace prediction is either 1-1 or 2-1 to Brentford.

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Match Previews

Crystal Palace vs Brighton Match Preview & Prediction

Published

2 years ago

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February 10, 2023

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Crystal Palace and Brighton logos over the top of Selhurst Park football ground

Finally, it’s time for the first Crystal Palace vs Brighton derby match of the season after the first was cancelled due to a train strike back in September.

Brighton are in great form, having beaten Liverpool twice and losing only once in their last seven. The arrival of new manager De Zerbi and the departure of some of their top players like Trossard, who moved to Arsenal in January, hasn’t worsened the team’s performance, in fact, they seem to have got better. Mitoma is currently in the form of his life so the Palace defence will need to deal with him.

Palace have had a few tough fixtures in the last month, playing Manchester United twice in the league, Newcastle and Chelsea. Brighton is another tough game, but anything can happen in this derby match. Palace looked like a different team after Casemiro was sent off in the second half and put pressure on the Red Devils to get an equaliser. With a few key players still out, others will have to step up and fight for points against their rival.

Keep reading for team news and our Crystal Palace vs Brighton prediction.

Crystal Palace team news

Patrick Vieira will be hoping Andersen will return for extra cover at the centre of defence. Richards has been solid when he’s been called upon, but Andersen and Guehi are still the preferred two centre backs. Initially, it was a calf injury that looked to keep him out for a couple of weeks, that was two weeks ago.

Another key setback for Palace was the hamstring injury that Zaha sustained against Newcastle. He’s expected to be out for another couple of weeks at least and will be disappointed to miss out on this local rivalry which he usually thrives in.

There is one boost for Vieira’s squad, though, James McArthur will be in the squad for the match after months out. Nathan Ferguson is still not back in the squad.

Brighton team news

With rumours flying around, that further Brighton star players plan to leave in the summer transfer window, owner Bloom and manager De Zerbi will want to finish as high as possible to try to keep key players.

World Cup winner with Argentina, Alexis Mac Allister, missed Brighton’s previous match due to a one-match suspension, but he’ll be available for this match and is one of the players that is linked with a move away from the Amex.

Caicedo made his return against Bournemouth as a substitute after trying to get a move to Arsenal in January. He’ll likely play an important role in the match at Selhurst Park tomorrow. However, Adam Lallana, Jakub Moder, and Levi Colwill are three players that won’t feature in the match, but at the moment, it feels like Brighton keep finding new gems every week.

Crystal Palace vs Brighton Prediction

The fact that Crystal Palace and Brighton still have two league fixtures against each other makes this match even more exciting. Palace’s home support will be as strong as ever, but this rivalry runs deep, so the away fans will also make a lot of noise.

It’s always a tough fixture to call, and without Zaha, Palace will need someone else to step up and drag them over the line to get all three points. However, our Crystal Palace vs Brighton prediction is that it will be a 1-1 draw.

Palace are in need of a win not to get pulled into the relegation battle, so we hope that it’s not just a draw.

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Match Previews

Manchester United vs Crystal Palace Match Preview & Prediction

Published

2 years ago

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February 3, 2023

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Old Trafford with Manchester United and Crystal Palace logos on top of the background

It was just over two weeks ago that Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Manchester United in the league. That was at Selhurst Park, this time round it’s at Old Trafford, and with Erik Ten Hag’s United side now confirmed in their first final of the season they’re full of confidence.

Crystal Palace had a break last weekend as they were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round against Southampton. Man United beat Championship side Reading 3-1 and then a few days later beat Forest in the League Cup semi-final.

It’s the first Premier League match after the January transfer window and with both sides signing new players on deadline day, we expect to see these new players involved in the match.

Keep reading for team news and our Man United vs Crystal Palace match prediction.

Crystal Palace team news

The main Crystal Palace team news before this match is that Wilfried Zaha is out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury. After not being able to finish the match against Newcastle, a scan revealed the extent of the injury. This will likely see Eze go out on the left wing in his place.

The Eagles made one permanent signing in the January window with Naouirou Ahamada coming from Stuttgart for £10m. The young 20-year-old French midfielder plays mainly as a number 8, but can also play as a 6 too. 

Arsenal’s Sambi Lokonga also signed for Palace on a six-month loan deal that will see him in red and blue until the end of the season. He’s looked lively for Arsenal when he’s played, especially in the Europa League, so we’re looking forward to seeing him perform for Palace.

Other injuries apart from Zaha are the long-term absentees, James McArthur and Nathan Ferguson. Plus, Joachim Andersen needs to be assessed and Vieira will likely give an update on his fitness before the match on Saturday afternoon.

Manchester United team news

Manchester United are in great form at the moment, but unfortunately, they’ll be without Eriksen after that horrific tackle from Andy Carroll in the FA Cup fourth-round tie. That was the reason they signed Marcel Sabitzer on loan on deadline day from Bayern Munich.

Wednesday night’s match with Nottingham Forest saw both Martial and Jadon Sancho make their returns after long periods out.

Other United players that won’t be available are Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek. Diogo Dalot was scheduled to return in time for this match, but after just coming back from a thigh injury, it’s likely that former Palace academy graduate Aaron Wan-Bissaka will start at right back.

Manchester United vs Crystal Palace Prediction

With these two teams having played each other just over two weeks ago, it makes it a bit trickier to call the match. However, United are in their best form in years, and with Erik Ten Hag as manager, they look like they can’t lose at the moment.

That’s why our Man United vs Crystal Palace prediction is a home win for the Red Devils. We’re going for a 2-0 victory over the Eagles. Palace without Zaha and potentially still Andersen is going to be tough against a strong United side.

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